A disused police box is set to be transformed to an ice cream parlour overlooking the sea at Tynemouth after councillors gave plans the green light.

The single-storey brick building has sat unused for years at the end of Percy Park Road.

But work will soon get under way to transform the building into a Victorian-era inspired traditional ice cream parlour.

Councillors raised concerns about road safety in the area which is close to a roundabout, however ultimately voted five to three in favour of the plans.

The police box on Percy Park Road which is set become a cafe and ice cream parlour (Image: newcastle chronicle)

“It is not going to be a supersized McDonald’s like we are seeing across the borough, I think this is a welcome asset to the location,” Councillor Wendy Lott said.

The scheme had attracted 45 objections, the majority of which raised concerns about the traffic.

Coun Ed Hodgson said at the meeting: “The clientele are likely to be children which means they’ve got to cross the roads. It seems to be a very dangerous proposal. Children run around the place, especially with the excitement of ice cream.”

Luciano Di Meo, owner of Di Meo’s Delaval Ices, which already has a business on Marine Avenue in Whitley Bay as well as a kiosk on the town’s promenade, said the ice cream parlour has been two years in the planning.

After the meeting he said: “I am very excited I want to just crack on with it all now.

Di Meos ice cream parlour in Whitley Bay (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

“Two years we’ve been planning this, and we’ve done a lot of research. We’ve visited Italy, Spain and Germany to look at different machinery.

“We’ve taken the neighbours into account, we know they’ve spent a lot of money for the houses around there. It will be Victorian in style which is in keeping with the area and are buying a charcol filter oven for pizzas so there are no smells.”

Mr Di Meo said he hoped the people of Tynemouth would become fond of the ice cream parlour when it is finished.

Although he had hoped to be open by the summer delays in the application process mean it is unlikely to open until later in the year.